Convenience outlet



March 3, QS. W A, BOCKIUS ET AL 1,794,359

CONVENIENCE OUTLET March 3, l93lw. A. BocKlus ET AL l,794,359

CONVENIENCE OUTLET Filed June l5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illini/Ill!!Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES lA'rrNr` OFFICE WALTER A. BOCKIUS, FWILMETTE, AND HOWARD B. JONES, 0F EVANBTON, ILLmOIS convEmENcE OUTLETApplication led June 15,

' Our invention relates to convenience outlets and more particularly tomeans whereby a plurality of electrical circuits leading to currentconsumption devices may be connected to a common source of supply.

- is materia ly reduced.

1t is also the purpose of this invention to provide in a device of thischaracter means whereby a pair of spaced supporting and con# ductingelements which is adapted to be connected to one side of the line may beassociated together and provided with socket contacts to form a unitcapable of receiving a plurality Aof plugs arranged in parallelismlengthwise of said members. i

Other and more specific objects and advantages of the invention willappear as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings and deascription are illustrative only and are not to be taken as limiting theinvention in so far as modifications and minor variations are concernedexcept in so far as the invention is limited by the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front view showing the convenience outlet, acover thereon, and a pair of plugs in position, part of the cover beingroken away;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Fig.. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the interior of the device with partsof the structure thereof shown in sections;

Fig. 6 is an end view of one of the plugs taken from the contacting endthereof; and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, We show at 10 the usual outletbox which at present is mounted in the wall of a building during theconstruction thereof and secured in position by means of the bracketssuch as indicated at 11 and 12 after which it may be suitably incasedwith plaster if desired up 1oz-aa. serial No. 371,286.

substantially to the laterally extending flanges shown at 13 and 14.

. l These flanges are screw threaded to receive screws 15 and 16 whichfit in elongated slots such as shown at 17 in the mounting member 18which carries the socket portion Vof the connector, this mounting memberbeing preferably in the form of a U-shaped metallic bar having the legsof the U bent outwardly and provided with the apertures such as 17 forsecuring the same tothe anges 13 and 14. The purpose of the elongatedopening 17 is, ofcourse, to permit propere horizontal or verticalalignmento'f the socket member since it is quite often the case thatvthe outlet box 10 is not mounted with the and 21 with screw threadedapertures by 70 means of which the cover plate 22 may be directlyattached thereto. The cover plate is cut away as shown at 23 to providean aperture for the socket element of the connector which will now'bedescribed in detail.

This element consists essentially of a pair of spaced apart members 24and 25 which are substantially channel shaped or U-shaped in crosssection and which are of any desired length to provide the requisitenumber of outlet connections as will hereinafter appear. These membersare each provided with terminals as indicated at 26 and 27 forconnecting the lead in wires coming into the outlet box 10 thereto, andthe members 24 and 25 form the conducting means whereby circuit iscompleted from the plug and socket arrangement to the terminals 26 and27, which will now be described.

These channel like members 24 and 25 are secured between the face plate28 and a back plate 29 of insulation by means of a pair of rivetsindicated at 30 and 31 which are preferably countersunk within thematerial of the plate 28 and which pass through the plate 29 and throughthe mounting bar 18 so as to clamp the plates 28 and 29members 24 and25, and bar 18 iirmly together. Plate 28 is provided with longitudinallyextending grooves as shown at 32 and 33 in which the 100 and extend soas to properly align these' members throughout their length. and holdthem approximately parallel to each other.

As a means of insuring the insulation of these elements 24 and 25 fromeach other, there is provided a U-shaped insulating element 34 ofsubstantially the same shape as the members 24 and 25 through whichclement the rivets 30 and 31 pass; and these rivets are furtherinsulated by the sleeves 35 and 36. The insulating pieces 28 and 29 arepreferably somewhat longer than the members 24 and 25 and of just such alength as to tit in the U-shaped portion of the member 18 so that theywill properly space the ends of the contacting members 24 and 25 fromthis member 18.

The piece 28 is provided, as shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 4, withspaced rows of apertures as shown at 37 and 38 which aperturespreferably are arranged substantially on the center line of the channellike members 24 and 25 to permit the insertion of the plugmembers of theconnecting device as will be hereinafter explained.

Within`the -channel shaped members 24 and 25 we provide spring contactsocket members 39 which as shown are riveted at 40 or otherwise securedin the bottom of the.`

toward each other to about the point 41, andl then they extend outwardlyto 42 into contact with the side walls of the channel memd bers and arethen curved downwardly and inwardly toward each other to come intocontact about at 43 with the free ends thereof being spread apart asindicated at 44.

The result of this structure is that a good long surface contact may beobtained when a plug such as that indicated at 45 is inserted in thesesocket members, and owing to the shape at 42 and 44 of this springcontact sockets, the spring pressure upon the plug insert-ed therein isreceived from both ends of the contact surface so as to insure firmcontact. This, it will be seen, gives a very effective socketarrangement for the connecting device which is limited in extent only tothe desired numbers of pairs of sockets which may be used.

In order to utilize these sockets to the fullest advantage vin a closespacing, we provide aplug 46 which as shown is substantially rectangularin outline having in the central portion thereof a bore 47 through whichthe conducting leads 48 from a current consumption device extend. In thecontacting face of the plug, there are provided metallic inserts asshown at 49 and 50 which are in the form of rivets extending upwardlythrough the laterally bent portions 51 and 52 of the plugs and spun overas shown at 53 toform means for holding the plug contact on theinsulating base 46.

These inserts 49 and 50 are also screw threaded to receive the wiringterminal screws 54 and 55 by means of which the leads which extendthrough the plug contacts at 56 and 57 are secured to these contacts.These elongated plugs may then be inserted parallel to each other andtransversely of the plate 28 as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2 and inthis manner a considerable number of connections may be built up in avery small space.

It is, of course, to be understood that the spacing of the socketelements are such as to correspond to the standard spacing of the plugterminals now in use so that, where plugs of the type shown by applicantare not available, the standard round headed plug may be used with thisoutlet socket although, or course, such plugs cannot be placed so closetogether, and a unit such as shown in Fig. 1 would only accommodateprobably two of such plugs.

From the above description it is thought that the construction andadvantages of this device will be clear to those skilled in this art,and, having thus described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A` device ofthe character described comprising a pair of channel-likeconducting and supporting elements, means securing said elementstogether in spaced relation, a wiring terminal for each element, and a.plurality of spring contact sockets carried in the channel of eachelement, each contact socket of one element being aligned with a contactsocket of the other whereby to receive the terminals of a plug.

2. Means for connecting a plurality of consumption circuits to a singlesource of current supply comprising a socket composed of a pair ofconducting channel members, having means for connection direct to saidsource of supply, a plurality of sockets in each of said members, saidsockets being arranged in pairs With one socket of each pair in eachmember, insulating support means upon which said members are secured,

and plug members connected to said con-- said sockets, said insulatingsupport meansV vand plug members connected to said consumption circuitsand having spaced prongs insertible in said sockets, said `insulatingsupport means including a plate fitting over the open side of saidchannel members and having spaced apertures aligning with said sockets,said plate having grooves receiving said members wherebyto align them.

5. Means for connecting a plurality of consumption circuits to a singlesource of current supply comprising a socket composed of a pair ofconducting channel members,

i having means for connection direct to said source of supply, aplurality of sockets in each of said members, said sockets beingarranged in pairs with one socket of each pair in each member,insulating support means upon which said members are secured, and plugmembers connected to said consumption circuits and having spaced prongsinsertible in said sockets, said insulating support means including aninsulating strip interposed between and .spacing said members from eachother.

6. Means for connecting a plurality of consumption circuits to a singlesource of current supply comprising a socket composed of a pair ofconducting channel members, having means for connection direct to saidsource of supply, a plurality of sockets in each of said members, saidsockets being arranged in pairs with one socket of each pair in eachmember, insulating support means upon which said members are secured,and plug kmembers connected to said consumption circuits. and havingspaced prongs insertible in said sockets, said plug members havingrelatively narrow insulating body portions elongated in the direction ofspacing of the prongs.

A7. Meansv for connecting a plurality of consumption circuits to asingle source of current supply comprising a socket composed of a pairof conducting channel members, having meansgfor connection direct tosaid source of supply," aplurality of sockets in each of said members,said sockets being arranged in pairs with one socket of each pair ineach member, insulating support means upon which said membersV4 aresecured, and plug members connected to said consumption circuits andhaving spaced prongs insertible in said sockets, the spaces between saidsockets longitudinally of the channel members being at least as small asthe space between sockets transversely of said members.

8. A device of the character described comprising a pair of channel-likeconducting and supporting elements, means securing said elementstogether in spaced relation, a wiring terminal for each element, and aplurality of spring contact sockets carried in the channel of eachelement, each contact socket of one element being aligned with a contactsocket of the other whereby to receive the terminals of a plug, thespaces between said sockets longitudinally of the channel members beingat least as small as the spaces between sockets transversely of saidmembers.

9. A device of the character described comprising a pair of channel-likeconducting and supporting elements, means securing said elementstogether in spaced relation, a wiring terminal for each element, and aplurality of spring contact sockets carried in the channel of eachelement, each Contact socket of one element being aligned with a contactsocket of the other whereby to receive the terminals of a plug, and amounting bar secured by'said securing means for mounting said device inan outlet box.

10. A device of the character described comprising a pair ofchannel-like conducting and supporting elements, means securing saidelements together in spaced relation, a wiring terminal for eachelement, and a plurality of spring contact sockets carried in thechannel of each element, each Contact socket of one element beingaligned with a contact socket of the other whereby to receive theterminals of a plug, and a mounting bar secured by said securing meansfor mounting said device in an outlet box, said bar having provisionsfor attaching a cover plate thereto.

11. A device of the character described comprising a pair ofchannel-like conducting and supporting elements, means securing saidelements together in spaced relation, a wiring terminal for eachelement, and a plurality of spring contact sockets carried in thechannel of each element, each contact socket of one element beingaligned with a contact socket of the other whereby to receive theterminals of a plug, saidhsfecuring means including a plate ofinsulating material havmg means cooperating with said channel elementsto maintain them in spaced relation.

In witness whereof, we hereunto subscribe our names this 1st day ofJune, A. D. 1929.

HOWARD B. JONES. WALTER A. BOCKIUS.

